Tag: Historic Fiction

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Review: The September Society (Charles Lenox Mysteries #2) by Charles Finch

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: The September Society (Charles Lenox Mysteries #2) by Charles Finch

How perfect and fitting that I am finishing this book today on the first day of September!

I’ve just come off a string of long and content heavy books. So I just mentally needed a break from reading things that were hard/complicated, wordy, and had long, extensive family trees (which is so typical of English literary classics and British based books like Outlander or Through a Glass Darkly!).

So, I was eager to read something else historically based but yet something I also knew to be a little less complicated and easy to read/understand….I immediately turned to the next book in the Charles Lenox Series, The September Society by Charles Finch!

When I started the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge this year, my objective was to complete at least two books in the genre. I selected two books from the Charles Lenox mysteries series by Charles Finch, A Beautiful Blue Death and The September Society.

If you are a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes Mysteries….or enjoy Sherlock Holmes-type mysteries….you will devour these books. Finch gives readers a similar approach to the amateur gumshoe/doctor duo with Lenox and his sidekick Dr McConnell who are a bit more down to earth an approachable than Holmes and Dr Watson.

The Sherlock Holmes series has gained a lot of popularity in the last couple of years with the modern Guy Ritchie rendition in 2009 and another upcoming installment (Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows) due out in Dec 2011. I know lots of people are picking up the classic series hoping to find the same type of Holmes character that they see portrayed by Hollywood. Lenox is a breath of fresh air for the typical Sherlock Holmes style mysteries. As I said before, we have a more approachable combo of detective/doctor in the Lenox series…..Lenox is rich, eccentric, witty, charming, and smart. Continue reading “Review: The September Society (Charles Lenox Mysteries #2) by Charles Finch” →

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Review: Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen

For my birthday a few months ago, my sister got me this book. Both her and I have very similar literary tastes so when she got me this book I was very excited to start reading it–I totally trust her literary judgement, since she is a librarian she knows all the good books/authors :).

She had heard lots of good things about it and said she thought it was part of a series but wasn’t sure. She knew the author had written other historic works such as Before Versailles: A Novel of Louis XIV which I saw featured on Goodreads around the same time.

Karleen Koen has written four books, Dark Angles, Through a Glass Darkly, Now Face to Face, and Before Versailles….for more info check out her website. All of the books are set in 17th-18th century England and France  and all feature colorful blue blood aristocrats so if you love historic fiction of this period, these books are for you!

I was ready for something new and different. As I was browsing my bookshelf I decided to pick up Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen. Since the book falls under the historic fiction category I decided to use it as part of the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.  Continue reading “Review: Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen” →

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Review: A Beautiful Blue Death (Charles Lenox Mysteries #1) by Charles Finch

by The Lit Bitch9 Comments on Review: A Beautiful Blue Death (Charles Lenox Mysteries #1) by Charles Finch

In between books I picked up the first book in the Charles Lenox Mysteries, A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch. I read this book as part of the Historic Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by Historical Tapestry.

The HF Reading Challenge required one thing….the book must by set in a historic setting so that means any genre (mystery, sci-fi, YA, fantasy….anything.

I don’t really know too much about the series but the books sounded like they would be right up my alley. I saw the series listed on Goodreads and they had favorable reviews from readers. The are more or less a remake of the Sherlock Holmes Mysteries and since I have read many of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries I thought these would be a modern twist on an old classic.

The series follows protagonist Charles Lenox who is a wealthy gentleman who resides in the posh/exclusive London address of Mayfair. He is what most readers refer to as the ‘armchair explorer/detective’. Because he is independently wealthy he has lots of time on his hands…and he has a very analytical mind and pays attention to details. He has a great ability to deduce little things which no one else seems to make heads or tails of (like Holmes in that way at least). Continue reading “Review: A Beautiful Blue Death (Charles Lenox Mysteries #1) by Charles Finch” →

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Review: Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace

What is better than getting presents on your birthday….getting unexpected gifts on your birthday :).

I had seen the book Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace listed as a free advanced copy giveaway on the Goodreads website.

There were many others I could have entered but I was immediately drawn to this one. Without reading the description I knew I would instantly fall in love with the book as I simply love the subject of the book (Impressionist art) without question, one of my favorites being Van Vogh himself.

I was thrilled to get the email that I had won the book on my birthday!

I started the book Friday night and finished it Saturday night, needless to say it was an engrossing tale!

Regardless of the reviews and expectations that I had seen about the book, nothing could prepare me for how this book draws you in and you instantly become part of the energy while reading the tale. I became drawn to the book, sucked in if you will, by the romanticism and the overall tragedy of the characters and story…..so tragic but so familiar in many ways.

I have been a Van Gogh fan for years. Though there are other Impressionist painters that I like better than Van Gogh (Manet, Degas, Monet, and Renior are a couple of my favs)–there is no one like Van Gogh. No one can match how he views people…he really gets into your mind and the result is rather unsettling.

I will thrilled that the book was able to really grasp the essence of these paintings and show the reader how troubled the artist was. It was rich and colorful….ironically like a painting. The story is written from the perspective of  Dr Paul Gachet, Van Vogh’s personal physician in the months before his death. Continue reading “Review: Leaving Van Gogh by Carol Wallace” →

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Review: Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

by The Lit Bitch5 Comments on Review: Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

I chose to read Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay for the Jewish Literature Reading Challenge. I initially picked the book out at a bookstore because I really liked the cover (The Luxembourg Gardens was one of my favorite places in Paris so of COURSE the cover grabbed my attention!).

The summary sounded intriguing and moving so I added it to my TBR list.

Lots of Jewish Literature focuses on Holocaust remembrance and Sarah’s Key is no different. The book initially takes place in occupied France during 1942 where we meet 10 year old Sarah Starzynski, a little Jewish girl who’s family is seized during the Vel’d’Hiv’ Round up–which took place in Paris and involved the French police (working for the Germans) who arrested and carted off to Auschwitz concentration camp.

When the police come, Sarah hides her brother in a secret cabinet in their apartment to keep him safe from the police and promises to return to him shortly and free him. She leaves him with some water, snacks, and a book as she assumes she will be returning in the morning. It goes without saying that the Vel’d’Hiv’ Round up is considered one of the darkest hours in France’s history.

The book alternates between Sarah’s story and that of modern day American writer Julia who is living in Paris. Julia is writing a story for a Paris magazine about the Vel’s’Hiv anniversary and since she doesn’t know much about it, she starts researching the event and discovers many things about the round up including the story of little Sarah which has a direct influence on her life and family.

Here is the official summery from Shelfari: Continue reading “Review: Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay” →